Maritime air power and the bomber threat

The force comparison records both sea-based and land-based aircraft used for anti-submarine warfare and maritime support. NATO's sea-based total declines between 1971 and 1983 while the Warsaw Pact expands its much smaller starting force fivefold. NATO improves its land-based tactical and support total, but the Warsaw Pact still approaches 700 aircraft in 1983. Roughly 300 of those opposing aircraft are bombers, connecting the numerical comparison directly to the fleet's missile-defence and air-defence burden. The separate land-based anti-submarine total moves from 471 in 1971 to 450 in 1981 and 454 in 1983 for NATO, while the Warsaw Pact moves from 225 to 179 and 228. Maritime air power cannot be assessed only by counting ships.